Homebrew Bullywug Species Details

Note: This was created to match the racial changes and balances of Monsters of the Multiverse. This does contain features that are different than the bullywug monster.

Life as a bullywug is nasty, brutish, and wet. These frog-headed amphibious humanoids must stay constantly moist, dwelling in rainy forests, marshes, and damp caves. Bullywugs overwhelm opponents with superior numbers when they can, but they flee from serious threats to search for easier prey.

Bullywugs speak a language that allows them to communicate over large areas by croaking like frogs. News of intruders or other events in the swamp spread within minutes across this crude communication system. Simple concepts in the language are understandable to frogs and toads. Bullywugs use this capability to form strong bonds with giant frogs, which they train as guardians and hunters. Larger specimens are sometimes used as mounts as well. The frogs’ ability to swallow creatures whole provides a bullywug hunting band an easy means of carrying prey back to their villages.

Creating Your Character

At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.

Creature Type

Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.

Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

Life Span

The typical life span of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race’s description.

Height and Weight

Player characters, regardless of race, typically fall into the same ranges of height and weight that humans have in our world. If you’d like to determine your character’s height or weight randomly, consult the Random Height and Weight table in the Player’s Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.

Bullywug Traits

As a bullywug, you have the following racial traits.

Amphibious

You can breathe air and water.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Size

You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Bite

You have a maw that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage.

Swamp Camouflage

As a bonus action, you can magically turn invisible underwater until the start of your next turn or until you attack, make a damage roll, or force someone to make a saving throw. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Speak with Frogs and Toads

You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with frogs and toads. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.

Standing Leap

As a bonus action, you can long jump or high jump a number of feet equal to five times your proficiency bonus, without provoking opportunity attacks. You can use this trait with or without a running start. You can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Amphibian Diplomacy

Thanks to your etiquette of sorts, you gain proficiency with two skills related to Charisma, Intelligence or Wisdom.